St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-07-30
THE BETTER DEMOCRAT.


PIcayune.
Ii may be doubted whether the Me-
/ Emery organs really expect to effect
anything by their attempts to impugn
General Nichols orthodoxy us Il Demo-
crat. The attack has been so severe
and so well sustained all along the line,
and it has been so impossible to meet
it, that the journals to which the de-
tense naturally belongs have been
! making desperate effort to change the
subject of discussion. In other words,
they do not expect to convince any
sensible men that General Nichols is
not good Democrat, but they would
rather pretend that they are trying to
prove even that silly charge than un-
dertake the hopeless task of defending
the record of Governor McEneIy> adj
mInlStratlOn.
The Picayune and other Democratic
newspapers in this State have made
certain charges against Governor Me-
Emery, and have made those charges
good with evidence that is absolutely
conclusive. No serious effort was then
made to refute those charges, but the
, papers whose business it was to make
the best fight they could for a bad
cause contented themselves with dep
recating " a campaign of SANDERS 1t
seems that they have lost faith in the
magic of that phrase. and they have
substituted an evasion for a denial.
When We show that their candidate has
made bad Governor they retolt that
General Nichols is not good Demo
crat.
If any simple minded person should
. inquire why he ought not to believe
that Southern soldier and patriot,
why man of unimpeachable honor, is
what he claims to be, the answer would
be that some years ago General Mich
oils supported Mr.. Carleton Hunt in a
canvass in the First Congressional dis
trict of this State against Mr.. St, Mar
tin, the nominee of the regular Demo
cratic convention in the district. But
when that answer is met with the state
ment that Mr.. ST Martin is to-day an
active supporter of General Nichols in
the pending canvass, it will hardly APP
pear sufficient. When it is further re-
membered that the Democratic Presi-
dent of the United States appointed TO
an important office another citizen of
Louisiana who supported Mr.. Carleton
Hunt at the time referred to, it will ap-
pear that there is high authority in the
party against the view taken by the
McEnery organs. Finally, when those
organs are reminded that subsequently
to the nomination of Mr.. St. Martin "A
candidate nominated by IA regular
Democratic convention, in another con-
gressiOnal district, was compelled to
withdraw because some of them re-
fused to support him, it will be clear
that they are drawing line that would
exclude them also from party fellow
ship.
The people of Louisiana know very
we'll who the Dmocrats are III this
State. They remember perfectly well
when some of Governor McEnery's
friends first came into the Democratic
party; but there is not one of them who
can name the day which General Mich
oils was not true to all its principles
If it be said that Governor McEnely
has always voted the regular Demo-
cratic ticket, and that he has never
scratched Democratic ticket, We will
admit that we know nothing to the
contrary but when we try him by
another and better test We find that
he is not SO much party man as he is
a factionst, and that whatever else he
may be, he is above all McEneryite
We can understand why he should re-
fuse to recognize Republicans in his APP
pointments, and why he should turn a
COlu SHbututt W dll the dStNtu cUtIllNN
of his party; but when he virtually
takes the position that every Democrat
in the State must support him, and
when he attempts te use the whole ma
chinery Of the party to crush every
member Of the party who may venture
to suggest another name for the
governorship, we do not hesitate to
affirm that his political methods are in
conflict with the true spirit of the
Democracy. If he has any defense, it
is that he regards himself us indspen-
sable to the success of the party, or the
prosperity of the commonwealth. If
be is really the victim of an infatuation
of that sort, we would beg leave to re-
assure him !: for there are great many
people in Louisiana who take a very
different view both as to his capacity
and that of his fellow citizens.
Personal government was not of
Democratic origin in this State. The
administration is indebted to poiti-
clans of the Kellogg school for that
idea, and, although it has the merit of
simplicity, it suggests association which
the good people of Louisiana have not
yet learned to respect.